Nalah
Nalah was the 4521st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 31 babies. Its best year was 2020, when it ranked 2298th with 78 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,643 places. More babies were named Nalah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Nala) Sanskrit epic hero's name (Nala) · Sanskrit
- Rank in 2025
- #4,521 girls, down 2,223 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 31girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 202078 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,001babies recorded
What does the name Nalah mean?
Nalah is a spelling of Nala, pronounced the same way, so it shares Nala's meaning and origin.
Nala is borrowed from Sanskrit Nala, according to Wiktionary. In the Mahabharata, Nala is the king of Nishadha and husband of Damayanti; in the Ramayana, another Nala is a vanara, one of the monkey-like heroes. As a Sanskrit noun, nala names a tall reed, and Wiktionary lists other senses too, such as a measure of length. US records show Nala from 1979.
नल (Sanskrit, “Nala; a kind of reed”)
How sure is this? Probable. The Sanskrit source is documented; why American parents choose the name is not covered by our sources.
See also: Sanskrit and Indian names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Nala' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'नल' (Sanskrit section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Nalah popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,521 | 31 |
| 2020 | #2,298 | 78 |
| 2010 | #4,827 | 30 |
| 2000 | #8,984 | 11 |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Nalah, counting every spelling?
Nalah is a spelling of Nala, a name family that ranked #783 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #4,521 for Nalah on its own. Together these spellings went to 348 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nala | 317 | #856 | 1,748 |
| Nalah | 31 | #4,521 | 224 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Nalah?
31 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Nalah (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Nalah born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 270 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Nalah.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Nalah?
About 1,000 people born in the US named Nalah are alive today, with a median age of 10; half are between 6 and 14. That makes Nalah a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Nalah by state
How common Nalah was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 48 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Nalah: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Nalah, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Nalah
What does Nalah mean?
Nalah is a spelling of Nala, which means “Sanskrit epic hero's name (Nala)” (Sanskrit origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Nalah?
Nalah was the 4521st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 31 babies. Its best year was 2020, when it ranked 2298th with 78 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,643 places. More babies were named Nalah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Nalah a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Nalah in the US.
Where is Nalah most popular?
In 2021–2025, Nalah was most common in Ohio (0.03 per 1,000 girls), followed by California and Texas.